Blog

We let the foundation firm up for a day or so and then put our backs in it again, figuring that if all went well we would finish by sunset.

We moved the quarried stone up from the three acres to the highest spot on the five acres, where we had laid the foundation for the 3000 liter water tank stand.

With the exact corners set by the site level and the string markers from the batter boards, Moses and Murafu laid in the first course of stones with the mortar, a 3 to 1 mixture of sand and cement, and followed the string\'s leading for the subsequent five.

The barbed wire between the layers lends torsional strength.

Murafu and the mason\'s truth, the plumb bob.

You can\'t have too much truth.

Just before sunset, we had our six stacked and set.

And so the chickens could gather in their favorite spot at day\'s end and have some news to go over.

The walls set up for a day and then we undertook filling the big hungry belly, by stacking hardcore lengthwise as close as possible, filling in the gaps with small stones,

and then smacking it all with a twelve pound sledge until it began to crumble,

and then handing off the hammer to Julius\' fresh arms and back for another go.

We all had our fun, and when the hardcore ran up the white flag,

we added a layer of murram to fill in the small gaps

and then watered and pounded it firm. After four repetitions of this cycle, we had a full belly and a belly full.

We nailed up the 1\"x 6\" shuttering (really the form for the 4\" concrete slab going on top) shot the levels on all four corners, laid in the plastic moisture barrier

and the reinforcing BRC wire

and started shoveling our slab on.

The concrete mixing was going on apace now and uploaded like new software to the technicians,

who distributed it evenly throughout the grid.

And pounded out the air pockets,

and slapped it level over and over.

Then added a nearly dry top dressing and got serious about smooth.

And we\'re left with this. Flat, smooth, less than 1/8\" variation between the four corners.

And properly inscribed.

Now it’s just reconnecting the drip lines for the 5 acre trees and letting them drink again in this prematurely dry season.

We’re on to other stuff now and I’ll do my best to keep you up to date. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for us.

David